Keenan Graham became a starter in September. Owamagbe Odighizuwa cracked the starting lineup a month ago. Cassius Marsh made his first career start this past weekend.

All three are freshmen defensive linemen.

The Bruins are going young on the defensive line, but don't take that to mean they're looking ahead to next season. Looking forward to next season might be a better way to put it.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley deemed it a “disruptive” bunch after the Bruins pressured Beavers quarterback Ryan Katz all day and held Jacquizz Rodgers to 63 rushing yards and without a touchdown for the first time all season.

“They aren't dominating at this level — it's hard to dominate as a freshman — but they're definitely holding their own,” UCLA defensive line coach Todd Howard said. “I think (the line) will grow to be the strength of the defense.”

Scott Reid: It's always a bit frightening to go out on a limb with major pronouncements about this team, but here we go: I think this could be a turning point not only for the season but the overall direction of the program. The intensity level in practice this week is off the charts. To me this was the biggest win of the season, maybe since Rick Neuheisel has been back. The first Tennessee was almost a kind of novelty win. The second Tennessee win was against Lane Kiffin. Texas seemed huge at the time. Now I think Washington State could win in Austin.

The Bruins are starting freshmen at both end spots -- Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Keenan Graham -- but are short on depth. Datone Jones has missed the whole season with a broken foot and Iuta Tepa has been out since September after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral muscle.

UCLA will also lose two defensive linemen at the end of the season, tackle David Carter and end Reggie Stokes.

They're a-live! They're a-live! Here are five observations from UCLA's 17-14 victory against Oregon State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl:

1. About that bowl game …

UCLA saved its season. Again. For now.

The Bruins (4-5), needing to win two of their final three games to become bowl eligible, have a bye week before playing at Washington the following Thursday. Then they're at Arizona State. Then it's the regular season finale against USC at the Rose Bowl. As I've said since the Texas game (and UCLA safety Rahim Moore said after the Houston game), UCLA is more than capable of winning any of its remaining games, or losing them.

Price watched practice on crutches and a brace on his right knee. UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel and the Bruin training staff, however, remain optimistic about Price's return in time for UCLA's Oct. 21 game at No. 2 Oregon.

F back Anthony Barr watched practice in shorts and a t-shirts, sidelined with a calf injury.

UCLA was pretty much a disaster everywhere in dropping a sixth consecutive game in Berkeley. The defense couldn't tackle. The offense couldn't run. Or pass. Then there were the drive killing penalties.

There has been a lot of talk this week in Westwood about the emergence of freshman Owamagbe Odighizuwa and red shirt freshman Keenan Graham on the defensive line. Odighizuwa and Graham are expected to start at the defensive end spots against Cal on Saturday.

"Everybody on the D line is starting to step up," said senior defensive tackle David Carter.

Especially Carter.

As much as anything it has been Carter's play that has bolstered a defensive line that was perhaps UCLA's biggest pre-season question mark.

Carter lead the Bruins and is third in the Pac-10 in sacks (3.5 per game). He is also 11th in the Pac-10 in tackles-for-loss (4.5) and is coming off the best game of his career, posting a career-high five tackles, three of them sacks in last Saturday's 42-28 victory against Washington State.

Reid: No. UCLA went up 14-0 and the defense decided that Washington State was as bad as everyone said they were and shut it down until they were backed up against the goal line early in the fourth quarter.

Today we continue our pre-training camp preview of UCLA by looking at the top newcomers to watch in 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79KwHwD9zlE

RBs Malcolm Jones, Jordon James and Anthony Barr

No one is Westwood would be surprised if one of the these three freshman end up as the Bruins' starting tailback by mid-season—or even by opening day.

All three earned All-America honors, Jones being named the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year. Jones (video) rushed for 2,477 yards and 45 TDs last season, 383 yards and four TDs coming in his final game. Barr missed almost his entire senior season because of injury and might end up at linebacker.